I'm gonna start off by posting a few recipes that I had posted in the old forums. I'm hopin' some of you that posted your crockpot recipes there will re-post 'em here
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts * 1 packet taco seasoning 1 c. chicken broth Combine in crock; cook 6-8 hours on low. Remove breasts from crock and fork-shred. Spoon a bit of the juice over it if desired. Serve on warmed tortillas with cheese, salsa, sour cream, black olives...anything your taco heart desires! I've also been known to spoon some leftover brown rice into the meat after cooking. This freezes VERY WELL. I make a triple batch and then I don't even have to crock...just thaw and warm. Also works for beef, with either ground or chuck roast (for shredded beef). Use beef broth if doing a beef recipe. * I use chicken flavored taco mix - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
4 lean boneless pork loin chops -- 1/2 inch thick 2 medium onions -- sliced 1 jar (4.5oz) sliced mushrooms -- drained 1 envelope onion soup mix 1/4 cup water 1 can condensed golden mushroom soup Spray 4-to 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place pork chops in slow cooker. Top with onions and mushrooms. Mix soup mix, water and soup. Pour over mushrooms. Cover and cook on low heat setting 6 to 8 hours or until pork is tender. Serve with rice and a veggie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
1/2 cup brown sugar ----- 3/4 cup water ---- 2 Tbsp. cocoa ---- 2-1/2 cups brownie mix (half of a 21.5-oz. pkg.) ---- 1 egg ---- 1/4 cup peanut butter* ---- 1 Tbsp. soft margarine ---- 1/4 cup water ---- 1/4 to 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips ---- 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional) ---- (*Note: You can substitute regular butter, if preferred) Method: (1.) Combine 3/4 cup water, brown sugar and cocoa in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. In the meantime, combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk together or mix well with a spoon. (2.) Spread the batter evenly in the bottom of a lightly buttered slow cooker. Pour boiling mixture over the batter. (3.) Cover and cook on High for 2 hours; turn heat off and let stand for another 30 minutes. (4.) Spoon into dessert dishes while warm. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream. (Yield: 6-8 servings) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Broccoli-Cheese Soup 2 16-oz. packages frozen chopped broccoli 2 10 3/4-oz. cans cheddar cheese soup 2 12-oz. cans evaporated milk 1/4 cups finely chopped onions 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt 1/4 tsp. pepper Combine all the ingredients in crockpot. Cover. Cook on low 8-10 hours.
So-easy spaghetti 1 lb. ground beef 1/2 cup diced onions 1 pkg. dry spaghetti sauce mix 8-oz. can tomato sauce 3 cups tomato juice 4 oz. dry spaghetti, broken into 4-inch or so pieces Brown meat and onions in skillet. Drain. Transfer to greased crockpot. Add remaining ingredients, except spaghetti. Cover. Cook on low 6-8 hours or high for 3/12 hours. During last hour, turn to high and add spaghetti. Stir frequently to keep spaghetti from clumping together.
Rice Pudding 2 1/2 cups cooked rice 1 1/2 cups canned milk (condensed) 2/3 cup brown sugar 3 tbsp butter or marg 3 eggs beaten 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 cup raisins or chopped dates Mix all together in crockpot and put on low for 4 to 6 hours or until firm.
Crockpot Marinated Chicken & Pork 3 lb chicken pieces 2 cloves garlic,crushed 1 lb lean boneless pork cubed 3 tomatoes chopped 1 cup dry red wine 1/2 tsp rosemary 1/2 tsp black pepper 1 tsp salt 3 cups beef broth, (Campbell's) Place chicken pieces and pork cubes in a large bowl. Mix all other ingredients thoroughly, pour over chicken and pork. Allow meat to marinate in sauce for about 2 hrs. (you could leave it over night) Transfer chicken,pork and marinade to cooker. Cover pot, turn on LOW and cook 6-8 hrs.or until chicken and pork are thoroughly cooked. Serves 6.
Crockpot Tarragon Chicken 3-4lb chicken 2 Tbs soft butter 1 tsp garlic salt 1 tsp tarragon 1 Tbs dried parsley 1/8 tsp ground black pepper 3 Tbs vinegar Gravy 2 Tbs cornstarch in 2 Tbs cold water, Stirred until smooth. 1 cup accumulated cooking liquid. Rub chicken with butter; place in slow cooker. Combine seasonings and herbs and sprinkle evenly over chicken. Add vinegar. Cover and cook on LOW about 8 hrs. Do not remove lid during this time. Remove chicken to hot platter. Prepare gravy by combining the cornstarch mixture and 1 cup accumulated liquid in a saucepan. Heat and stir until mixture boils and is thickened. Serve over hot chicken. Serves 4.
Crockpot Barbecued Pot Roast 1 tsp salt 2lb lean pot roast 1/2 cup tomato paste 24 peppercorns 1 small onion, chopped 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce Sprinkle salt over the roast and place in crock pot. Spread tomato paste over meat; imbed peppercorns into paste; top with onions and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and cook on LOW 8-10 hrs. Serve meat with accumulated gravy.
Here is a little something I found on the net that sure helps me loads when I want to use my crockpot but not sure what to do: Crock cooking tips and general guide for adapting recipes Many of your favorite recipes can be successfully adapted to the Crock-Pot® or slow cooker if you follow a few simple rules. Here you'll find a basic time/temperature guide for converting recipes, some do's and don'ts for specific ingredients and a few tips for making your slow cooker dishes more flavorful. [size=+1]Ingredients:[/size] Vegetables Dense vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and other root vegetables should be cut no larger than 1" thick, and placed in the bottom of the pot, since they take longer to cook. Liquids Usually liquids may be decreased in slow cooking - about half the recommended amount. Unless the dish contains rice or pasta, one cup of liquid is usually enough. Pasta and Rice If a recipe calls for cooked pasta to be added, cook it until just slightly tender before adding to the pot. Add 1/4 extra liquid per 1/4 cup uncooked rice, and use long grain converted rice for the best results. For long-cooking recipes, add cooked rice shortly before serving. Beans I find it best to soak beans overnight before cooking them in the crockery cooker. The Rival brochure recommends pre-soaking then boiling for at least 10 minutes in unsalted water, draining, then add to the recipe. Before adding sugar or acidic ingredients, the beans should be softened first, either in the slow cooker or on the stove top. If your recipe includes tomatoes, salt, or other acidic ingredients, the beans should be tender before beginning. Someone wrote recently that instead of pre-soaking, she cooks her beans (in the crockery cooker) on low for about 8 hours through the night in water with a little baking soda. In the morning, she drains the beans, adds the ingredients with fresh liquid, then cooks per recipe directions. Cooking times might be shorter using this method. Herbs and Spices Ground herbs and spices tend to dissipate over long cooking times, so it's best to add them near the end of cooking. Whole herbs release flavors over time, so are a good choice for crockery cooking. You should taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary, before serving. Milk/Cheese Milk, sour cream, and cream break down over long periods of cooking, and should be added during the last hour. Condensed cream soups are good substitutions for milk and can be cooked for extended times. "Healthy," or reduced fat cream soups can be used in any recipe as a substitute. Cheeses don't generally hold up over extended periods of cooking, so should be added near the end of cooking, or use processed cheeses and spreads. Soups Add water only to cover ingredients in soup, and add more after cooking if necessary for a thinner soup. For milk based soups, add 1 or 2 cups of water and during the last hour, stir in milk, evaporated milk, or cream as called for. [size=+1]Preparation[/size] Over long cooking, some dishes may lack flavor, but some extra preparation steps can be worthwhile. Though it isn't necessary to brown most meats first, flavor is often enhanced by browning, and fat is decreased. Dredging meat or chicken in flour, browning, then deglazing the pan with wine, a little vinegar, or broth and adding that to the pot can make quite a big difference in flavor. For the best color and texture, ground beef is best browned before using, except in meatloaf or other similar dishes. To simplify preparation, brown ground beef, drain, and freeze in batches for your crockpot meals. To make a flavorful sauce or gravy from your cooking liquid, first make a roux of flour and water (roughly 1 tablespoon of each for each cup of liquid) in a medium saucepan. Skim the fat from the cooking liquid in the slow cooker then add the liquid to the roux. Simmer, stirring, until the sauce is thickened and reduced. Serve with or over meat and/or vegetables. You can also add cornstarch dissolved in water (1 or 2 tablespoons cornstarch to 2 or 3 tablespoons cold water, depending on how much liquid you have) directly to the slow cooker near the end of cooking to thicken the liquids. [size=+1]Time Guide[/size] Conventional Recipe:...... Low (200°): ..........High (300°): ......15 - 30 min................. 4 - 6 hrs................ 1 1/2 - 2 hrs ......35 - 45 min................. 6 - 10 hrs............... 3 - 4 hrs ......50 min - 3 hrs............. 8 - 18 hrs................ 4 - 6 hrs. (Sorry guys wouldn't keep the spaces in so had to put in dots)
Thank you all for your recipes and cooking tips in this thread. I just got a crockpot recently-never used one before-and this is a big help. My only question was whether you should always brown the meat first or if that's just an option, but the tips in the last post answered that for me. (It says always brown ground meat. Other meats it isn't necessary, except to enhance flavor and reduce fat.) Anything else I should know that anybody wants to add?